The Buffalo Bills are on a heater right now, with quarterback Josh Allen playing incredible football at a clip that has him as the current odds-on favorite to win NFL MVP honors for the 2026 NFL season. Now 2-0 and with impressive offensive showings against both the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions, the Bills are set to welcome the woebegone Los Angeles Chargers to cozy Highmark Stadium.
Things could get out of hand quickly if recent game history is an indication. Will Buffalo’s offense continue its
dominant ways in Week 3? It’s trending that way, especially if Allen, running back James Cook III, and tight end Dalton Kincaid continue playing elite football.
Many consider this a trap game for the Bills given the situation. However, Buffalo is a much better team than either the Arizona Cardinals or Las Vegas Raiders, which both defeated the Chargers by identical 26-14 scores. That said, Buffalo has its own less-than-ideal identical pair from its first two wins: the defense gave up 31 points in each matchup.
Will current trends prevail or is Buffalo headed for a trap? Below, we dive into a few bold predictions for Bills vs. Chargers in Week 3 using data and odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Josh Allen features early and often Week 3
Through two games, Josh Allen has nine total touchdowns, which includes five passing scores. He’s off to a land-speed-record pace this season, but is it sustainable? It should be at least through Week 3 thanks to a reeling Chargers team.
Los Angeles has given up a combined 46-of-66 for 530 yards with four touchdowns and one interception to quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Kurt Cousins. I like Allen to surpass that two-game average of 265 yards and two passing touchdowns, perhaps even besting the 23-of-33 pass/attempts average.
As of publishing, FanDuel Sportsbook lists Allen’s passing yards total at over 238.5 (-115)/under 238.5 (-115). That over feels like a given this week.
Yes, simply picking Allen to surpass what are essentially two-game average marks against LAC isn’t a bold prediction. Instead, I like the odds of Allen throwing for north of 300 yards (+350 at FanDuel), with at least three passing touchdowns (+250 at FanDuel) and at no less than one rushing score (anytime -140 | +450 to score 2+ at FanDuel). I also think Allen will again claim the game’s first score (not a passing TD) as a rusher with a tone-setting touchdown (+550 at FanDuel).
Despite the potential for wide receivers DJ Moore and Keon Coleman to both sit out Week 3, there will be plenty of touchdown options, all of whom Allen is well-versed with at wide receiver, tight end, and running back. that includes the expected return of dynamic dual-threat running back Ty Johnson, who’s proven to be a third-down specialist as a receiver.
If Buffalo wins the coin toss, look for them to take the ball on offense again — perhaps a nod to the ‘90s Super Bowl Bills teams that sought to bury opponents with an early lead. Head coach Joe Brady has decided to let Josh cook early this season, and it’s worked with aplomb. Expect to see Allen featured early and often in Week 3.
Dalton Kincaid dominates in Week 3
You might not see this as a bold prediction, especially if Moore and Coleman are sidelined, however Buffalo does have numerous, sometimes overlooked, options to play a featured role as receiver. Week 1, Dalton Kincaid was second on the team in targets (6), co-led the team in catches (5), and led all pass catchers in yards with 130 through the air. Kincaid followed that up with a Week 2 performance featuring seven catches on eight targets for 95 yards — all three serving as team leads — plus his first touchdown of the 2026 season.
In Week 3, Kincaid should feast again as a receiver. Kincaid has the fifth-best odds as a touchdown scorer (non-passing), with anytime odds of +185 at FanDuel. Concerning receiving yards, Kincaid’s O/U with FanDuel sits at O 56.6 (-114)/U 56.5 (-114). It would be far more shocking to seem him flirt with that under. I’d roll with the odds that Kincaid surpasses 100 yards in Week 3 (+470 at FanDuel) and 7+ receptions (+400 at FanDuel).
As a deep threat, Kincaid has been a serious problem for defenses of late. In fact, as of publishing, Kincaid has the best odds through FanDuel of hauling in a 15+ yard reception (-550), a 20+ yard reception (-210), and a 30+ yard reception (+190). So far this season, when you think of Kincaid, you envision long receptions downfield no matter who’s covering him.
James Cook 1st RB to humble LAC in 2026
There’s been a lot of forgettable football out of the Chargers through two losses, but their rushing defense has been fairly stout. Games against the Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty (21 carries, 48 yards; 4 catches, 15 yards) and Cardinals RB1A Tyler Allgeier (17 carries, 61 yards; 2 catches, 9 yards) and rookie RB1B Jeremiyah Love (11 carries, 41 yards, 1 TD; 2 catches 9 yards) prove that Los Angeles’ front seven is serious about stopping the run.
That’s good defense against very capable backs, however, James Cook is on a different level as the reigning NFL rushing champ. Still a somewhat overlooked player in the league, Cook has had a decent start to his 2026 season. I expect him to get plenty of touches in Week 3, which should lead to a bunch of yards and a score or two as one of the most dynamic dual-threats in today’s game.
Cook is a featured back, but someone who has seen his workload reduced simply due to the team’s third-down preference to roll with Ty Johnson. As mentioned earlier, Johnson should be back this weekend. Will that eat into Cook’s snap count and, ultimately, his touches? I see a lot of that depending on how diverse a game plan the offense deploys for Cook against LA.
Cook seems primed for an explosion of offense on Sunday, perhaps totaling a new season high in carries. Interestingly, Cook has the current best odds with FanDuel of scoring 2+ touchdowns (+310), which sounds like others also believe he’s going to be a big part of Sunday’s game. To that end, Cook also has the most favorable odds of scoring a touchdown at any point in the first half (+135 at FanDuel) and also the second half (+160 at FanDuel).
Like many of his teammates, it’s true that Cook could head to the sideline early if Buffalo builds a huge lead in the second half. I’m still willing to bet that he gets a lot of run on Sunday, in an effort to really test how good the Chargers are at stopping the ground game.
Remember, Cook is always one cut away from a house call, which means he gets top billing as the favorite to finish with the most rushing yards (-185 at FanDuel). Is it too bold to say that Cook should flirt with 90+ rushing yards (+132 at FanDuel) against the Chargers? Again, one carry always has the potential to get Cook better than halfway there.
Fair warning: As of publishing, Cook sits at O/U 79.4 total rushing yards (-114). Los Angeles’ run defense is not to be so easily dismissed. Pointing back to the RB receiving stats above, the Chargers are also equally adept at keeping backs in check as a pass-catching threat. Currently through FanDuel, as a receiver Cook is O 1.5 (-154)/U 1.5 (+116) for receptions and O/U 10.5 (-114) for receiving yards. Do you like the odds that one screen pass goes the distance? Maybe you also like the odds that Cook accumulates 50+ receiving yards (+1280 at FanDuel).
The trick on Sunday comes if Brady and Allen find a better path toward utilizing Cook as a receiver. All told, I say Cook bests FanDuel’s current projection for his combined rushing and receiving yards at O/U 94.5 (-114).
Think you’ve got what it takes to make a play with the Buffalo Bills in 2026? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook now to put it to the test!
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